posted
I was dx 5 months ago with lyme and babesia,have been sick for two years,my pos babesia was a low titer but Doc said need to do a fish test to see if its an active infection,had a fish test done for the babesia and it was pos, so did the zithro and mepron the first two weeks then went on to doxy retested at IGenex for the babesia with the fish test one month after treatment and it came back pos again so did another treatment with the zithro and mepron again, only 2 weeks. and then retested 45 days later with a fish test again this time neg. so I guess I am just fighting the lyme now. I have been told that the babesia normaly takes a long time to get rid of but my last test shows it is no longer an active infection. IGenix says this fish test is the way to tell so I guess its gone. I hope. I do feel better so just doing the doxy now. have any of you had the fish test?
Posts: 7 | From CA | Registered: Aug 2008
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
I've had the Fish test. Pretty expensive.
Mine was negative.
Yet, I am on my 3rd go around with babesia treatment.
Igenex can only test for 2 of the 13+ known strains of babesia.
I am in my 8th month of mepron/biaxin.
I believe a minimum of four months is rec'd by Dr. B for babesia.
I don't think I understand the two weeks of meds then off.
Then a couple more weeks of babesia meds then off.
Maybe I didn't understand the protocol right.
Have you ever herxed on babesia meds?
Do you feel better?
I had drenching night sweats again last night.
That is twice this week and I hadn't had those for about 2-3 months.
BTW, it isn't recommended to do doxy with mepron.
It lowers it's absorption into your body.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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adamm
Unregistered
posted
The FISH can only be used to test for one of the dozen or so strains that can make you sick.
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posted
Yes I do feel better and I did herx from the meds, the second time was worse, my question is why would I have two pos test then after treatment get a neg? and no I did not do the doxy at the same time. I do not get the night sweats any more and alot of my symtoms have improved. how do you tell the diffrence from lyme symtoms and the babesia anyway? when you read about them the lyme seems to be able to cause them all. I get very confused. I do read evey one is diffrent when it comes to treatment and how well and fast they respond to it. have any of you had pos tests for the babesia and then get a neg. and feel you still have it, or any of you feel better??? I can tell some of my symtoms I had before the mepron and zithro are better. so who knows...
Posts: 7 | From CA | Registered: Aug 2008
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Angelica
Unregistered
posted
Are you seeing a LLMD?
Some strains of babesia like Duncani need to be treated longer then other strains and they cross test which makes the testing confusing.
The testing is also unreliable. I would not go by a negative test. I would go by symptoms along with the clinical diagnosis and help from a LLMD.
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posted
The FISH test looks for many strains!!! Read Igenex site guys. People kept spreading misleading information. It is a genus specific test, meaning it looks for the genus babesia that means multiple species of babesia.
Posts: 499 | From Indiana | Registered: Oct 2007
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Angelica
Unregistered
posted
My FISH test was negative when my WA1/Ducani was positive at the same time so the FISH test does not always find all the strains or at least it did not in 2006.
Wake me up when Lyme disease and coinfection testing is finally perfected or even semi close to perfected. I am thankful for Igenex testing but it stills needs improvement.
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